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By Eric Craymer
Maximizing nonprofit boards' effectiveness is important for two reasons.
First, the missions of non-profits are important to the world. Second,
volunteer leaders provide a valuable resource that should not be squandered.
Thankfully there are many good ways to improve board effectiveness. Some
are philosophies (like Servant Leadership), some are process methods (like
Knowledge Based Management), and some are merely a set of tips for improving
how well the board does its work. All of these are useful and good. Each
addresses an area, a portion, or a topic in which boards may learn to
do more and do it better. But given the importance of board effectiveness,
the goal should be to maximize effectiveness, not merely improve it.
To maximize board effectiveness you have to stop tinkering on the pieces and start changing the entire governance system. Carver Policy Governance? provides a way to do this.
Here are a few of the key elements of the Carver model that lead to whole system change and maximum effectiveness:
Role Clarity
In Policy Governance? the unique and important roles of both the board
and management are clearly spelled out and there are mechanisms which
prevent the two from stepping into the each other's work.
Clean and Precise Delegation
The extent and nature of management's delegated authority is explicitly
stated, avoiding constant trips to the board for permission and being
held accountable for unstated desires.
A Disciplined System of Logic
Policy Governance is built on a system of logic with mechanisms in place
to ensure its use. This reduces policy gaps and leads to clear and well-thought-out
conclusions.
Focus on the Results, not the Methods of Achieving Them
The board's conversation becomes about defining and assuring performance
on the organizational purpose, not management methods.
Setting Boundaries to Allow Freedom
The board can safely give management freedom to use its expertise, ability
and creativity to achieve the results because it sets explicit boundaries
concerning unacceptable behavior and conditions.
Integrated and Self-Correcting System
In a system of checks and balances, it identifies and directs attention
to areas that are operating outside of acceptable parameters or that require
new policy development.
Intentional and Proactive
The board leads the organization by proactively accomplishing its unique
work rather than waiting to react to management actions and issues or
customer and member complaints.
Determination of Group Values
Board process and philosophy encourage diversity of opinion, but insist
on decisions and actions that represents the official position of the
board as a body, not the opinion of a subset of the board.
For more information you may want to visit John Carver's website: www.carvergovernance.com
Eric Craymer, MBA, CMA, owns Growth Management Consulting; a firm dedicated to strategically guiding organizations through successful growth and change. He is a graduate of the Policy Governance Academy. Questions and comments may be sent to him at eric.craymer@policygovpartners.com. To learn more about Growth Management Consulting, you may visit their websites at www.GrowthManagementConsulting.com and www.PolicyGovPartners.com
